Problem
The basis for my transit app came about when one of my co-workers asked me when next bus home from the office was. Using Rocketman to check bus times, I mentioned, “it’s coming in five minutes”, she panicked, packed up her things and ran out the door. With the bus stop just around the corner, she would have been waiting longer than needed and even with five minutes to spare, she considered that not enough time to get to the stop before the bus left. Rocketman was great at providing the next arrival time, but it didn’t factor in the time it actually takes to walk to the bus stop.
Research
I conducted in-person interviews with transit riders, asking them about their daily transit habits, weekly schedules, and transit usage habits. I also asked if they used any mobile apps to help them plan their commute.
Through my research I discovered most riders fall into two categories: Riders that travel on a generally fixed schedule and single time usage riders. Fixed scheduled riders are users that take transit to and from work every morning for example, and single usage rider would be someone who is out running errands and does not have a particular time planned on when they need to leave. After reviewing a number of transit apps, I found that there weren’t many apps that worked well at creating a schedule on when to leave to catch the next bus.
Using this research I began working out user flows and wireframes on paper
Through my research I discovered most riders fall into two categories: Riders that travel on a generally fixed schedule and single time usage riders. Fixed scheduled riders are users that take transit to and from work every morning for example, and single usage rider would be someone who is out running errands and does not have a particular time planned on when they need to leave. After reviewing a number of transit apps, I found that there weren’t many apps that worked well at creating a schedule on when to leave to catch the next bus.
Using this research I began working out user flows and wireframes on paper
Solution
Unlike apps like Rocketman, my app allows users to not only check when the next bus/streetcar/subway arrives but it also allows them to create a weekly schedule based on when they need to leave to get to work in the morning.
Users can select a stop either by looking on a map or searching the location. Once selected they can choose how they’re getting to the stop (walking, bike or driving) and select which days they would like the notifications to be turned on for. When a bus is nearing its arrival, the app will use your geolocation, calculate the time it takes to walk to the stop and send a notification telling you to leave.
My hope is that the app reduces the stress and anxiety over missing a bus and overall creates a more positive transit experience. This project was done as part of Hackeryou’s user experience program located in Toronto. It was very well received by my instructor and I’m considering having it developed into a working prototype.